Sir Michael Caine’s dazzling career as he steps away from acting aged 90

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Sir Michael Caine has had a dazzling decade-spanning career to look back on as he steps away from acting to retire at 90-years-old.The acclaimed Hollywood star has entertained millions of fans in movie classics ranging from Zulu, The Italian Job, Get Carter and Alfie, to the recent Interstellar and the Dark Knight franchise.Sir Michael is known for his pride in being a cockney, never losing his accent.

He was born Maurice Micklewhite in 1933 to a fish porter, who worked at Billingsgate market, and as a cleaner.He earned his famous catchphrase “Not a lot of people know that” after the actor Peter Sellers used it once to impersonate him.The star then attended Wilson’s Grammar School, near Camberwell Green, and went on to serve in Germany and Korea on national service before returning to London to fulfil his dream of an acting career.His first brush with the stage came after he tripped and crashed through the door of a youth drama class while trying to get a better look at a girl he fancied, with the vicar then making him join due to a shortage of boys in the group.After several theatre roles, he changed his name, creating a new identity inspired by the film The Caine Mutiny.

His marriage to Patricia Haines in 1954, which produced a daughter, Dominique, lasted just two and a half years.Soon after that, his father Maurice died.

His mother gave him £25 from the insurance money so that he could go to Paris to escape. He later admitted he was “close to a nervous breakdown” during his time there when he did various odd-jobs.Caine returned still haunted by the conviction that his father, who was against his acting career, died “knowing I was a bum” – but he was determined to succeed as an actor.